The name Bastard Sword makes me think of either a) Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay or b) that isometric RPG Diablo. Despite what my massive nerdiness might suggest, these guys would NOT soundtrack a really intense day of live action roleplay, which may be why LARP is a niche hobby for social misfits.

In their own words Bastard Sword explore the uncharted territory between Tangerine Dream and Zapp (and on the evidence here a weird mix of glossy R&B and patriotism), which is an altogether more interesting prospect. The east London trio gave us a peek at the songs that are soundtracking their lives right now.

Mark: I don’t know if a single song inspired us, we kind of happened out of accident. Maybe ‘Bad News’ by Kanye West. That album was a favourite in our kitchen when Alex and I lived together, and he’s definitely an influence.

Rob: ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyonce.

Alex: All of 808s and Heartbreak.

The first song/single you ever bought…

Mark: Hmm, I won a 7″ copy of a Betty Boo single when I was 10 in a radio competition about global warming but I gave it to the person who had drawn the penguin for the letter. I didn’t like music then. But then a year later I bought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – ‘Turtle Power‘ on cassette – my Dad just kept saying to me: “You know it’s not a computer game, don’t you?”